Chapter 42: Ghost Rider · The Penance Stare
Blade's silent assault had ended in utter silence, extinguishing the last flicker of struggle on the battlefield. The night of despair fell like a heavy burial shroud over the hearts of all who remained. In the dead quiet, only Sun Wukong's bored yawns could be heard, as if everything that had transpired was but an insignificant interlude.Yet, in this suffocating, deepest hour of darkness—A horrifying sound, like bones breaking and reassembling, grated through the air from the edge of the battlefield!Accompanying it, an aura of extreme evil,狂暴 (bàokuáng -狂暴), yet tinged with a bizarre sense of the "sacred," erupted like an infernal volcano! The smell of sulfur and scorched earth filled the air; shadows on the ground writhed and stretched unnaturally!"Sin... must be punished!"A hoarse, distorted roar, as if from the very bottom of the abyss, rang out!A figure wreathed in blazing hellfire, astride a motorcycle skeleton that was likewise engulfed in flames and roaring like a demon, tore through the darkness and charged onto the battlefield!Ghost Rider! Johnny Blaze!His head had transformed into a burning skull,空洞的眼窝 (kōngdòng de yǎnwō -空洞的眼窝) gushing with the炽白火焰 (chìbái huǒyàn -炽白火焰) representing the "Penance Stare"! Chains wrapped around his body, each link burning in hellfire,呻吟着 (shēnyín zhe -呻吟着) in agony! He embodied the ultimate wrath and punishment against all sin in the world!He had felt the极致绝望 (jízhì juéwàng -极致绝望) and pain concentrated here, and even more, he had sensed Sun Wukong's庞大到令人战栗 (pángdà dào lìng rén zhànlì -庞大到令人战栗) presence—one that seemed "lawless,"超越一切规则束缚 (chāoyuè yīqiè guīzé shùfù -超越一切规则束缚)! To the perception of hellfire, this very existence was the greatest "sin" that needed to be "purified"!"LOOK INTO MY EYES, SINNER!" Ghost Rider roared deafeningly. The hellcycle screeched to a violent halt. He jerked his burning skull up, the eyes pouring forth hellfire locking squarely onto Sun Wukong!The ultimate ability capable of burning souls, forcing any being burdened with sin to experience the极致痛苦 (jízhì tòngkǔ -极致痛苦) of all their misdeeds, was unleashed without hesitation!Two beams of炽白的地狱火光芒 (chìbái de dìyù huǒ guāngmáng -炽白的地狱火光芒), like swords of divine judgment, shot instantly towards Sun Wukong's eyes! This attack was not physical, nor based on laws of energy; it targeted the very essence of the soul! Its aim was to awaken, amplify, and punish every "sin" buried deep within the target's heart!The distant heroes even instinctively averted their gaze, fearing to be touched by the terrible power!Facing this soul-piercing fire of judgment, Sun Wukong merely blinked his Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils, his face showing an extremely古怪的表情 (gǔguài de biǎoqíng -古怪的表情)."Huh? A trick to钩人魂魄 (gōu rén húnpò -钩人魂魄)? Or an illusion of心魔 (xīnmó - inner demons)?" He scratched his head, feeling not an ounce of pain, but rather... a slight itch?The Penance Stare,足以让恶魔崩溃 (zúyǐ ràng èmó bēngkuì -足以让恶魔崩溃),足以让神祇颤栗 (zúyǐ ràng shénzhǐ chànlì -足以让神祇颤栗), shone upon his Primordial Spirit. But it was like sunlight falling upon a Great Monad Dao Fruit, tempered through immeasurable calamities,早已万法不侵 (zǎoyǐ wàn fǎ bù qīn -早已万法不侵),混元如一 (hùnyuán rúyī -混元如一)!In his lifetime, Sun Wukong had rampaged through the underworld, tearing up the Book of Life and Death! He had long since leaped outside the Three Realms, transcended the Five Elements! His soul (Primordial Spirit), tempered in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, hardened through the trials of the Journey to the West, and attaining the fruit of the Victorious Fighting Buddha, was of a坚固 (jiāngù -坚固),澄澈 (chéngchè -澄澈), and位格 (wèigé -位格) that surpassed any ordinary definition of "sin"! The judgment laws of hellfire could not judge him; they could not even comprehend his existence!"That's it?" Sun Wukong even found the hellfire rather warm and comfortable. He opened his mouth and inhaled—The two beams of炽白的审判之火 (chìbái de shěnpàn zhī huǒ -炽白的审判之火) were sucked into his mouth like a whale swallowing water! He even smacked his lips."Taste's a bit strong, like burnt charcoal. Not as pure as Laozi's Six Ding Divine Fire," he commented.Ghost Rider's burning skull seemed to freeze in place. The hellfire within his cranium flickered violently, betraying extreme shock and... confusion? The Penance Stare... failed?! It was even... eaten?!"IMP... POSSI... BLE!!" Ghost Rider roared in愤怒而不解 (fènnù ér bùjiě -愤怒而不解). He violently hurled his burning chains, which snaked towards Sun Wukong like vipers, the hellfire on them capable of melting souls!Sun Wukong casually reached out and caught the chains. The hellfire licked at his palm but failed to leave even a trace."Playing with fire?" Sun Wukong laughed. He opened his mouth and exhaled!This time, it wasn't the Samadhi True Wind, but a breath of immortal true fire,蕴含着一丝纯阳道火本源 (yùnhán zhe yīsī chúnyáng dào huǒ běnyuán -蕴含着一丝纯阳道火本源)! The flame was gold-red,神圣而霸道 (shénshèng ér bàdào -神圣而霸道), instantly suppressing, devouring, and assimilating Ghost Rider's hellfire!The gold-red flame surged back along the chains, engulfing Ghost Rider and his hellcycle in an instant!Ghost Rider screamed in agony. The fire of his sin, before this higher, purer "sacred fire," seemed to meet its nemesis,燃烧崩溃 (ránshāo bēngkuì -燃烧崩溃) violently! He felt his very existence being purified, evaporated by these flames!He struggled desperately, trying to drive his cycle away, but the gold-red flames clung to him like a persistent disease!Sun Wukong decided it was enough. He gently blew again, dispersing the flames.Ghost Rider collapsed to the ground, the hellfire on him dimmed to the extreme, his skeletal form almost unable to maintain itself, reverting to the unconscious, charred human form of Johnny Blaze."Burned by the fires of karma, yet ignorant of the path to超脱 (chāotuō -超脱). Full of rage, but lacking the true way. Pitiable, lamentable." Sun Wukong shook his head and paid him no further mind.The judgment of hell had become a powerless joke before the Victorious Fighting Buddha, who had long since transcended the cycle of reincarnation.The abyss of despair seemed to have no bottom.